The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-07-08
ana the Grand Army.

! The letter of the President to the Mayor
of st. Louis, recalling his acceptance of the
invitation of the citizens of that city to he
present there in October during the encamp
ment of the Grand Army of the Republic,
can hardly fail to create something of a SEN
sation throughout the country. That the
chief executive of the nation, a Northern
! man, is prevented from visiting one of the
large cities of the Union by hostile expires
siOns of ex- Union soldiers, indicates a very
remarkable condition of affairs.
There are some, doubtless, who will con
denim the President for declining to go TO
st. Louis, but the great majority of the
people, after reading his letter carefully.
and considering it in all its bearings, will
admit that the course he has adopted
is the right one. If be cannot feel assured
of such a reception as the President is
entitled TO it is clearly his duty to remain
away 1t would be a great scandal, that
would cause shame and indignation in this
country and might not he without its effect
in foreign countries for him to be hooted
at and greeted with opprobrious epithets by
those who once formed part of the Union
armies. 1t is probable that he would be in
no danger of attacks upon his life, but who
can say with any absolute certainty that he
would not In great gather
ing, such as there will be at st.
Louis, there are always violent
and reckless persons who need only little
encouragement to do some desperate deed,
and from the tone Of some of the recent
utterances of not q few members of the
Grand Army, there is reason TO think that
such encouragement would not be wanting.
This hostility of the Grand Army to the
President must be regarded as very remark
able in view of the fact that no one of his
predecessors was moro popular than he
is, if, indeed, any one of them
was SO popular Even extreme Republicans
do not hesitate TO say that he is sincere and
honest, and that be is giving the country
very able, economical and satisfactory ad-
ministration How is it then that he has
incurred the bitter enmity of the members
of the Grand Army? In their eyes he is
guilty of two ofRenses. He vetoed the de
pendent pension bill, which was passed by
the last Congress, and he signed the order
for the return of the battle flags 1t is safe
to say that the vast majority of the people
approved of his veto of that bill. Some of
the ablest of the Republican organs openly
commended it, The sentiment was then,
and is now, that the pension burden is
heavy enough, and that existing laws pro
vide pensions for all who are deserving of
them. The pension claim agents at Wash
ington, however, are determined to have an
9TH oh, ,% 4I,,
have worked up a strong sentiment in the
Grand Army posts in favor Of another pen
sion bill which will call for hundreds of mil
lions more of the public money.
The order relative to the battlehags was a
matter of very small Importance The Presi-
dent had no other object in view when he
signed it than the strengthening of the fra
ternal feeling between the sections When
he found that there was opposition to it, and
that he had exceeded his authority, he cheer
fully rescinded it.
There has been no time since the close of
the war when the President could not have
visited the South with perfect safety and
the assurance of courteous treatment. If
President Grant had come to any Southern
city during the darkest days of the recon
struction period, when Federal bayonets
were unfolding the corrupt carpctbag gov
ernments, he would have witnessed no signs
of disrespect. There would have been no
display of enthusiasm, but due regard for
his great Office would have beeen exhibited.
1t is question which will arrest the at
tention of thinking men whether the Grand
Army of the Republic promises good to the
country. 1t is largely composed of sincere
and patriotic men, but there are those in it
who seem determined to use it for political
purposes. That it influences national legis-
lation there is no doubt, and that it
now aims to coerce the President into disre-
garding his oath of office there is every rea-
son to believe If it had been suggested
decade ago that this Grand Army organiza-
ton would, by its hostile attitude, prevent
the Chief Magistrate of the nation from
visiting one of the great cities of the coun-
try the suggestion would have been received
with incredulity. And yet, that very thing
has happened. What may be expected in
the future from this Grand Army organize
ton